Lindsay Allen, of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service recently told blatant lies about vegan diets on behalf of the meat, dairy and agro-chemical industry. The truth is that a vegan diet is by far the healthiest and has the least negative impact on the planet and could save millions of lives each year.

Lindsay Allen, of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service recently told whopping lies about vegan diets on behalf of the meat, dairy and agro-chemical industry in an effort to reduce the number of people choosing a healthier and more sustainable diet.

“There’s absolutely no question that it’s unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans,” she said.

Her claims were based on a single flawed study conducted in Africa where children given vegan diets deficient in variety and nutrients were compared to diets with meat added. In keeping with the corporate controlled Bush govt., she ignored sound science and reality and chose to spread corporate lies on behalf of the meat, dairy and agro-chemical industry.

The current secretary of the USDA, Mike Johanns, used to be a dairy farmer. As a politician he has a long history of prostituting himself for multi-national corporations, so it is no wonder that he is willing to endanger public health to help further enrich the industries bent on destroying our planet.

Unfortunately, the lap dog media which receives enormous amounts of money from the industries of death are all too eager to spread the latest lies about healthy diets.

The reality is that there is no requirement for humans to eat meat or any other animal product. Humans can get all the nutrition they need from a plant based diet. A plant-based diet is substantially healthier and eliminates most common disease and results in longer life. The environmental benefits of a vegan diet make going vegan the single most important thing a person can do to help stop our mindless destruction of our planet.

While it is true that most plant foods are deficient in vitamin B-12, it is also true that vegans can get sufficient B-12 from their diet. Vitamin B12 is a member of the vitamin B complex. It contains cobalt, and is also known as cobalamin. Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver, kidneys, and muscle tissue, and most B-12 (65-75%) is reabsorbed by the body instead of excreted. A deficiency could take from 5 to 20 years of inadequate intake to develop. It is exclusively synthesised by bacteria. Fermented soya products, seaweeds, and algae such as spirulina have all been suggested as containing significant B12. Bacteria in the mouth and intestine also produce B-12.

Cows are vegan. Our closest relative in nature, the great ape, subsists on a plant based diet. Where do they get their B-12 from? Animals don’t produce B-12, the bacteria in their environment and their body produces it. Just as the bacteria in our environment and body produces B-12.

Some ‘vegetarian’ foods are fortified with B-12. If a vegan isn’t getting enough B-12 they can always take a supplement. The benefits of a vegan diet far outways the minimal risk of insufficient B-12.

The damage caused to one’s health and the environment from an animal based diet is widely known. Heart disease, virtually non-existent in vegans, kills over 16 million people each year. According to the World Health Organization 29.2% of premature death is caused by heart disease. This means that a vegan diet could prevent nearly 16 million premature deaths from heart disease.

It is estimated that food poisoning kills over a million people each year. In the US alone food poisoning causes about 76 million illnesses. Most of the food poisoning comes from meat, dairy and eggs. This means that a vegan diet could prevent nearly a million premature deaths by food poisoning and hundreds of millions from falling sick from food poisoning.

Cancer kills another 6 million people each year. It is widely known that a meat based diet greatly increases the incidence of breast cancer, colon cancer and other cancers. Many types of cancer are directly related to diet. Cancer causing pesticides, herbicides and the toxins associated with their production are concentrated in meat and dairy products. A vegan diet greatly reduces the chance of getting cancer and could save millions of lives each year.

A vegan diet can not only save your life, it can help save our planet. For more info. on the environmental benefits of a vegan diet visit: http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm

This author has been strict vegan for over 12 years with no indication of any vitamin or mineral deficiency and rarely takes any supplements. The author’s son has been vegan since birth and has been healthy his entire life.

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